


Responsible

by VolsungartheMighty



Category: teen wolf - Fandom
Genre: Alpha Liam, Hayden is a bad mum, Liam has two dads, M/M, Mentions of past Liam/Hayden, Theo is a supportive boyfriend/husband, liam is a father, supportive parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-01
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2019-07-05 06:31:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15858147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VolsungartheMighty/pseuds/VolsungartheMighty
Summary: Hayden shows up one day out of the blue, with news that Liam is a father, before dumping the baby on him and leaving. It's up to him to be responsible now.





	Responsible

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ExtraSteps](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExtraSteps/gifts).



> Happy Birthday Alicia. I know you prompted this as being cracky/angsty, but it ended up being more angsty instead. I hope you like it.

“He’s yours” Hayden says, and the words are a shock to his system.

They’re sitting at a café, out on the street, a cool, spring breeze blowing down the street as they talked, the baby cradled in Hayden’s arms babbling along, as if talking to someone nearby.

Liam’s cup of coffee was held half way to his lips, frozen in place as he stared at Hayden because _she could not be serious_. She’d left Beacon Hills two years ago to protect her sister. They hadn’t seen each other in all that time, only talking over the phone long enough to update each other on the latest big bad they had encountered. And unless girls could get pregnant over the phone, the baby couldn’t be his.

_Fuck_ Liam thought, his mind running too fast to control his thoughts. _What if girls_ can _get pregnant while talking over the phone?_

He shook his head of the thought. He knew how women got pregnant, though it wouldn’t have been the weirdest thing to have happened in Beacon Hills.

He slowly lowered his cup to the table, clearing his throat loudly before he asked, “Can you say that again, but slower? Please?”

Hayden sighed, jostling the bundle in her arms as he babbled ceaselessly. “He’s almost a year and a half old” she said, looking down at the baby in her arms. “I didn’t just leave because I wanted to protect my sister. I found out I was pregnant during the whole Wild Hunt fiasco and figured that I would be better off leaving to keep the baby safe.”

Liam stared at her, anger and annoyance coiling and twisting in his gut. He was a father, and he was only _just_ finding out? He tamped it all down, searching out his anchor, finding the familiar heart beat just down the road, coming closer with every step. He must have heard Liam’s own heart beat sky rocket and was coming to check in on him.

“How long did you know you were pregnant before you left?” Liam asked, his teeth clenched shut as he spoke.

“About a month” Hayden said, her chin held high. “And before you ask why I didn’t tell you, I didn’t want you following me because you thought you were obligated to help.”

Liam balled his hands into fists, concentrating on the steadily approaching heartbeat of his anchor, sighing as he turned the corner, coming into full view. Theo was like a guiding light to Liam, his presence helping to calm him quicker than he had thought possible, all things considered.

“Hey Hayden” Theo said warmly, a smile on his face as he pulled out a chair next to Liam and sat down, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. “How’s things?”

Hayden was unperturbed, giving Theo a stiff ‘Hey’ in response, before turning back to Liam, ignoring Theo all together.

Liam leaned forward, the anger at the situation bubbling up, despite Theo’s presence. “That doesn’t explain why you thought it was a good idea to keep me in the dark about my _son.”_ His voice had risen, growing strained, and Theo perked up next to him, a hand coming over to grip his arm tightly.

“What’s this about a son?” Theo asked, concern filling his voice, a look of confusion settling on his face as he looked between Hayden and Liam.

Hayden ignored Theo, instead glaring at Liam. “Because, Liam, after the way you dealt with the Wild Hunt, I never took you to be responsible enough to look after a child.”

Liam flinched back, the comment stinging. Of course, she would throw what he considered to be his greatest failing into his face. “But I am responsible” he stuttered out, his mind going blank as Hayden glared at him, and Theo glared at Hayden.

“Responsible? Ha” Hayden laughed, head thrown back. “You know what, if you think your so responsible, why don’t you take him?”

She gingerly passed the baby over to Liam, his hands coming up to grab the bundle in an act of instinct. He gingerly held the baby to his chest as Hayden looked at the baby’s chubby, smiling face, a crestfallen look on her face.

“I never wanted him anyway” she said, standing from her seat and marching down the street, towards where her car was parked.

“Uh… Liam, what just happened?” Theo asked, frozen to his seat. He patted Liam’s shoulder, shaking him out of his reverie, “Liam, she’s getting into her car.” The sound of an engine coming to life echoed down the street as she started the ignition, indicating before she pulled out of her parking space and into traffic. “Liam, I don’t think she’s coming back.”

Liam looked down into the eyes of the baby now cradled in his arms, staring into a pair of familiar blue eyes, eyes that looked back at him from the mirror every morning. There was no doubt in Liam’s eyes that this baby was his, and a niggling feeling in the back of his mind told him that, even if it wasn’t, he would do everything in his power to care for the baby.

“I… I think that may have been her plan all along” Liam said, swallowing thickly as he looked up, seeing a large, stuffed duffle bag sitting on the ground next to Hayden’s recently vacated seat, as well as the stroller the baby had been in not long ago. “Theo, can you check the bag.”

Theo nodded, standing and moving around the table, pulling the bag up onto the table and unzipping it, rifling through its contents and piling them up on the table between them. Liam continued to jostle the baby, the smile on its face growing steadily weaker the longer Hayden was gone.

Soon, there was a small pile of fresh diapers, three bottles, all full of formula, a few pairs of clothes, a few toys and a book that, upon glancing through it quickly, was revealed to be full of the baby’s medical history. Theo handed one of them to Liam, a small rattle, that Liam began to play with near the baby, getting his attention, the smile lighting up on his face again immediately.

“The book says his name is Lucas” Theo said, flipping through it some more, letting out a surprised gasp when an envelope fell out. “She was kind enough to leave us a letter, it seems.”

“Go on, read it” Liam said, his attention equally divided between Theo and Lucas.

Theo was quick to open the envelope, discreetly flicking out a claw and tearing into the top, the letter within slipping out and into his waiting palm. He unfolded it, his eyes briefly scanning the page before he read it out loud, soft enough that only Liam, with his enhanced hearing, could hear him.

“Liam” Theo began, his hands shaking slightly as he read. “I want you to know that I’m not sorry for not telling you about Lucas before. You weren’t a responsible person when I found out I was pregnant with him, what with causing the whole school to be taken by the Wild Hunt and pulling Theo out of the ground. You _know_ I never liked him, and went ahead with bringing him back, despite mine and other’s warnings telling you otherwise. I don’t trust him…” Theo scoffed at the words, before he continued “…and I sincerely hope you don’t either.

“Anyway, I… I never wanted him, Liam. I didn’t want to be pregnant, I didn’t want to be a teen mother. But… my sister encouraged me to keep him to term, and maybe put him up for adoption. It was never my intention of having you find out, but when we kept him and found out he was supernatural, well… I figured it was about time you were told. And I wanted to call you, for months I tried… but every time I got the courage up, Valerie convinced me to not call you.

“But, a few weeks ago, Valerie was shot while on service. It was bad enough that she’s been told to stay off work for six months and… he’s an expense we can’t afford. He’s one more mouth to feed, one more person to clothe, to bathe, to care for. And Valerie can’t be looking after a supernatural baby while she’s recovering, so you were the next best option. You and your parents can care for him for a while, and in a few months, I might be back to get him.

“I hope you take good care of him Liam.

Love, Hayden.”

The two men sat at the café in silence, contemplating what they were going to do. Liam knew he wasn’t going to give up the bundle in his arms. He could already feel the budding pack bond forming the longer he held onto Lucas, and Theo seemed to be well aware of it, too.

“I think” Theo said, almost hesitantly, “That we just became fathers.”

***

Theo was the first to decide they should leave the café, Liam gently placing Lucas in the stroller with his rattle as Theo repacked the duffel bag, zipping it up and slinging it over his shoulder. He let out a surprised laugh when he found Liam struggling to buckle Lucas into the stroller.

“Here, let me” Theo said softly, gently pushing Liam aside and kneeling down, his hands deftly untying the knot Liam had made in the straps before buckling the laughing, cheery baby into the stroller properly. Liam smiled broadly at the baby, Lucas smiling and clapping his hands as Theo reached out and tickled him in the side, a happy squeal echoing through the café.

Theo stood, a smile on his face as he took hold of the handles, turning the stroller around in a circle to face the direction he had come from, nodding to Liam as he started forward. Liam matched his pace step for step as they walked down the street and to where Theo had parked his car.

“So, tell me, what… what exactly happened back there?” Theo asked, glancing at Liam out of the corner of his eye. “Cause… I was not expecting that when Hayden asked to meet up yesterday.”

Liam hummed in agreement, nodding as he walked. Theo could hear the gears turning in Liams head as he thought out what he was going to say.

“Well, lets just say that I wasn’t expecting Lucas to be there” Liam began, motioning with his hands as he talked, kicking the ground with the toe of his shoe. “She showed up, and he was in the stroller. She didn’t act like anything was out of the ordinary. She avoided saying anything when I asked about him. She seemed nervous, but I thought that was because of meeting me after so long.”

“Aren’t you forgetting another reason why?” Theo asked, brow arched. When Liam looked at him quizzically, Theo let his eyes flash gold quickly, Liam’s flashing red in response before returning to his natural blues.

“Right, I forgot she hasn’t seen me since then” Liam said, his hand coming up to scratch the back of his neck. Theo hummed in agreement, a silence settling over them as they remembered that night, a little over a year ago.

A rogue Alpha had come to Beacon Hill’s with her pack, terrorising the city, leaving bodies and death counts higher than they had seen since the war with the hunters. Chris and a few other hunter friends who followed the new Argent code had hunted down the beta’s, but the Alpha had been elusive.

Until one night, when she had attacked Liam’s home, terrorising Liam’s parents while he and Theo had been home. She had broken through the door and Liam had reacted on gut instinct, flying into a rage as he had seen his parents fleeing the Alpha in terror. The next thing he knew, he held her torn and bloody throat in his hand as she died on the floor, his eyes burning red.

“Do you still think it was the right thing for me to do?” Liam asked softly, Theo only able to pick up the question with his hearing.

He stopped walking, Liam continuing for a few steps before he realised that Theo had stopped, turning and coming back to Theo, who pulled him into his chest in a one armed hug. His other hand still gripped to the handle of the stroller tightly, not wanting it to roll down the slight incline the street was on.

“Hey, it was the right thing to do” Theo said, pressing a soft kiss to Liam’s temple. “She wasn’t expecting a five foot six ball of rage flying at her. And besides, you saved your parents by doing what you did.”

Liam sighed, nodding as he pressed himself into Theo’s chest. “I know. Just… sometimes, I wonder if it was the right choice.”

Theo nodded, even though he didn’t entirely understand. Most of his choices had been made for him in life, and they had all been the wrong ones. While the decision to kill his sister all those years ago had ultimately been his own, it had been with much convincing from the dread doctors, and since then it had been a slippery slope. At least, until Liam had come into his life.

He pulled away, not before he kissed Liam on the brow again, his arm still wrapped around Liam’s shoulders as he turned and began walking again, pushing the stroller ahead of him. Liam followed at a steady pace, eyes still on the ground. A few minutes passed in silence like that, before Liam spoke.

“I think I should call dad and tell him what happened” Liam said, sticking his hand into his pocket and pulling out his phone. Theo nodded, pulling his arm off of Liam’s shoulder as he dialled the number.

“Hey dad” Liam said once the call had gone through. He waited a moment before he spoke again. “Hey, quick question, nothing to make a fuss over, but… do we still have my baby stuff? Like my crib, maybe even some old clothes? Uh huh, yeah… so you put it all in the attic? Right, good, thank you. No reason, just curious. Yes, I’ll see you tonight. And no, neither of us are pregnant. Just because we’re werewolves doesn’t mean we can get pregnant. Yes, I can order us Chinese before you get home. Have a good afternoon, bye.”

Liam hung up, slipping his phone back into his pocket with a smile. “Well, we know where my old crib is, so we can put Lucas in that when he needs to sleep. Or he could sleep with us, I’m not too sure.”

“And why didn’t you tell him about Lucas?” Theo asked, eyebrow arched as they turned into the parking lot where Theo had left his truck.

It was then that Liam realised that they didn’t have a car seat for Lucas, that they didn’t know what formula he was on. They didn’t have many clothes for him, they didn’t have a lot of toys. It just… suddenly hit Liam how much responsibility had been thrust on him in an instant. He didn’t know how to raise a child. He didn’t know how to care for a baby. He was still a kid in college, stumbling his way through his courses. He still didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life, and now he was saddled with a kid?

His breathing was coming in short, sharp gasps, his chest felt tight. Black spots started swimming in front of his eyes and he stumbled, falling against the side of the truck and landing heavily on the ground. He heard Theo cry out, rushing to his side, but his breathing remained frantic, his heart beating a staccato against his chest. He felt a hand lightly patting his cheek, trying to get his attention.

But his mind kept returning to Lucas, and how he needed to care for him now. How he was _responsible_ for the baby now. He may have been a father, but he wasn’t cut out for this. His anger would be too much. Unbidden, a stray thought floated through his mind. What if his IED flared up because of Lucas, and he did something he’d regret later?

Firm fingers gripped his jaw, before soft lips were pressing against his in a kiss. It was slow and sensual, a little on the rough side, but it snapped Liam out of his thoughts, idly pressing back into the kiss, chasing those wonderful lips as they pulled back. A smirk graced Theo’s lips, but it fell quickly, a worried look on his face.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly, gripping Liam’s shoulder tightly. “It seemed like you were having a panic attack.”

“I… I think I was, yeah” Liam replied just as quietly. “It all just… hit me, that there’s a lot more to this than I would have thought.”

“But you’re not doing this alone, remember?” Theo said, hooking his arms under Liam’s arms and pulling him to his feet. Liam’s arms wrapped around his shoulders tightly, his face buried into the crook of Theo’s shoulder. “I’m not leaving you any time soon, just because of a baby.”

He felt a smile on his skin, as Liam pressed a soft kiss to his neck.

“I know, baby. I just… couldn’t help thinking that I’m way in over my head” he said softly, pulling back.

“We’re in over out heads” Theo said softly, resting his forehead against Liam’s. They lightly bumped noses together, a smile slowly growing on Liam’s face. “We’re in this together, okay? Your parents will help us. They’re not going to not help us.”

Liam nodded again, pulling away from Theo, but not before he pressed a light kiss to Theo’s lips.

“Thank you” he said simply, pulling away and moving over to Lucas. He was still smiling and playing with the rattle cheerily, as if nothing had gone wrong. He undid the straps holding Lucas in, picking him up and carrying him gently. “Can you figure out how to fold that up?”

Theo nodded, making his way to the stroller and playing with some of the axles on it. A few moments later, the stroller had collapsed to the ground. Theo hefted it over his shoulder, placing it carefully in the bed of his truck, along with the duffel full of Lucas’s belongings, before circling the car and getting into the drivers seat.

Liam continued to hold Lucas as Theo drove them home, keeping him entertained with the rattle and some baby talk. Theo couldn’t help but smile as Liam talked and babbled ceaselessly with Lucas. Though they’d only been together for a little over a year, the thought of having a kid with Liam had always been… a pleasant one, and watching Liam as he drove, he knew Liam would be a great father.

They got home to Liam’s place quicker than they had expected, Theo parking his truck next to David’s car, before they hopped out. Theo grabbed the stroller and duffel out of the bed of the truck, joining Liam as he made his way inside.

“Hey pops, we’re home” Liam called out, walking down the short hall and looking into the lounge room. It was empty, so he continued into the joint kitchen and dining room, where he found David standing at the sink, his hands submerged in water and soap as he washed some dishes.

“Hey Liam. Theo” he said, his back still to them as he finished the last of the dishes. He pulled out the plug, draining the water, before he grabbed a towel and turned to Liam and Theo, freezing when his eyes landed on them. “So… this is why you called Markus, is it?”

“Yeah… that’s why I called dad” Liam said, still cradling Lucas gently as he moved to sit at the bench. “It’s been a… rather interesting day, to say the least.”

David nodded, drying his hands slowly, before he came to stand across from Liam.

“So, what happened?” he asked gently. He looked down at Lucas, a soft smile on his face. “He certainly has yours and Markus’ eyes, that’s for sure.” He reached a hand over, tickling Lucas’s side, the baby squealing in delight.

“Well, Hayden called up yesterday” Liam began, and David’s smiled dropped into a frown. “She said the reason she left two years ago was because she was pregnant with Lucas here. Didn’t want me to know about him, because she thought I wasn’t responsible.” He sighed, shaking his head. “We got into a bit of an argument, before she gave him to me and just… left.”

“There was a bit more to it than that” Theo said, reaching into the duffel and pulling out the letter. “She left this, explaining why she even called us yesterday in the first place.”

He handed the letter over, and David took it, unfolding it and reading over it. His frown deepened into a scowl as his eyes scanned the page.

“That’s a stupid excuse not to tell you” he said, shaking his head in anger. “And getting rid of him at the firs sign of a struggle? She is not suited to be a mother, if that’s what she’s doing. What are you going to do if she shows up in a couple of months?”

Liam sighed, despite knowing this question was going to come up.

“I… I think I’m gonna keep him” Liam said quietly, looking down at Lucas with a smile. “I don’t know if it’s my wolf speaking, or just common sense. But I could never give him back to someone who was so willing to give him up when things get difficult.”

David smiled, reaching over and ruffling Liam’s hair.

“I knew Markus and Jenna raised you right” he said, a soft smile on his face.

“You raised me too, remember pops” Liam said. “You’ve been along for the ride just as much as dad has.”

“Yeah, I know Li” he said softly. He pulled away, the smile still on his face. “Theo, could you help me bring down Liam’s old baby stuff? I remember it being quite heavy when we put it up there.”

“Sure thing David” Theo said, smiling at Liam. “You gonna be okay?”

Liam nodded tentatively, looking down at Lucas. “Yeah… I think I’m gonna be just fine.”

***

**_Ten Years Later_ **

The door bell rang, crisp and clear through the large house as Liam pulled their dinner out of the oven. He was the only one home for the moment, Theo and the others out for the day by themselves. Liam didn’t mind. He loved his husband and their children dearly, but there were times where he just needed some privacy, to let himself blow off some steam by himself, without scaring the kids.

A quick glance at the clock told Liam that it was a little too early for Theo and the kids to be back, and he wasn’t expecting anyone to show up either. Tonight was family night, just the four of them.

So why was someone at the door?

Liam put the roast back in the oven, pulling off the oven mitts and making his way to the front of the house, a little annoyed that the glass on either side of the door was frosted, making it impossible to make out who was on the other side.

What he could see was a flash of dark hair, black pants and a deep purple shirt, but he was unable to think of someone who matched that description. He looked through the peephole on the door and scowled.

It was Hayden on the other side.

He opened the door slowly, scowl still in place as he glared at Hayden.

“Hey there Li” Hayden said cheerfully. It was almost as if the last time they had met hadn’t been a decade ago. Like she hadn’t up ended Liam’s life, albeit for the better. “How are you today?”

“I was doing perfectly fine, until you showed up” Liam replied, anger burning through his veins. He lifted his chin, eyes flashing red briefly. “What are you doing here, Hayden? And how did you find me?”

“It wasn’t that hard to look up Dunbar in the phone book” Hayden said, flicking her hair over her shoulder. Liam noticed that she had one side of her head shaved, and a tattoo of a flower in bloom spreading across her skull from the back of her ear. “And besides, I’m here for Lucas.”

Liam’s scowl dropped into an all out frown. “You’re… kidding, right?” Liam asked, growling when Hayden nodded with a smile. “Do you really think I’ll give him up that easily?”

“Of course” Hayden said, head cocked to the side. She reeked of frustration, and there was an undercurrent of… desperation there too. “I promised I would be back for him, and here I am.”

“Hayden… you said you would be back in a couple of months” Liam said, arms crossed over his chest. “It’s been ten years since you left him with us.”

“Oh, I know… I just got a little side tracked is all” she said, waving her hand to brush off Liam’s comment. “But now I’m here, and I’m ready to take him back.”

“Well, I’m happy to say that Lucas isn’t here right now” Liam said with a smirk, unfolding his arms and gripping the door. “And besides, there is no way you’ll be getting him back.”

Hayden went to say something, but the sound of a car pulling into the drive stopped her from saying anything. She closed her mouth with a smirk, watching as Theo and the kids got out of the car. Her smirk dropped when she noticed Theo stepping out of the car, and she rounded on Liam.

“Why is Theo here?” she hissed, and Liam watched as Theo’s head snapped around to them, eyeing Hayden with a distrustful glare.

Liam smirked, stepping around Hayden instead of answering and dropping to his knees as two excited squeals of joy sounded out. Two kids rounded the car, hurtling towards Liam and his outstretched arms, almost tackling the alpha wolf to the ground as the pulled him into a hug.

Liam laughed as he patted both boys on the back, pressing a kiss to the top of one messy head of hair, and then to the other.

“How are my precious little boys doing, huh?” Liam asked, the hostility in his voice gone with the presence of his babies. “How’d you like going to the aquarium with you papa?”

“It was so good” the one on the right said, smiling at Liam through a gap toothed grin, blue eyes shining in excitement. This one was Lucas, now eleven, almost twelve years old. He looked much like Liam had when he was that age, all smiles and full of energy. His eyes flashed yellow briefly, Liam’s flashing red in response. So far, they knew that Lucas was a werewolf, but were unsure if he had inherited Liam’s IED or not. “Papa bought me a shark.” He removed his hands from behind his back, holding out a brown and white hammer head shark plushie.

“That’s wonderful. Another one to add to your collection” Liam said excitedly, pulling Lucas into another one armed hug. “And what about you Alec? How’d you like your day?”

Alec, short for Alexander, was Theo’s biological child. About a year after Hayden had left Lucas with Liam and Theo, Theo had been feeling… left out. He wanted a child to call his own, like Liam had Lucas. And so, after a bit of digging, they’d found a were coyote who lived a few town over from Beacon Hill’s. He was only seven, and they were unsure if he was a were coyote, a werewolf, or if he was only human.

“It was okay” Alec muttered, eyes downcast. “It would have been better if you were there too.”

“Oh, I know” Liam said, pulling the younger boy into a hug. “But daddy needed some alone time. Did papa buy you something?”

Alec nodded his head and held out a plushie of an octopus. Its arms were all curled outward, its head a bulbous sac died a dark, browny yellow, with blue rings around its body and arms. Two googly eyes sat next to each other, giving it a rather comical look.

Liam took the plushie from Alec, giving it an inquiring look.

“I don’t think I know this one” Liam said, feigning ignorance. “What one is it again?”

Alec seemed to come to life, as he spoke. “He’s a blue ringed octo-mu-pus” he said, stumbling over his words in his haste. “He’s native to Austwalia and lives in the Great Barrier reef. He’s meant to be deadly, but he’s just cute.”

Liam smiled, ruffling Alec’s hair. A huff from behind him caught his attention, and the attention of the two boys, and he turned to see Hayden glaring at him.

“Can we get going now?” she asked. “I have places to be and I need Lucas with me.”

Liam stood, Theo finally joining them as they stared at Hayden.

“Who are you?” Lucas asked innocently, not even looking at Hayden as he played with his shark plushie, bobbing it around as if it were in water.

“Oh honey, you don’t know who I am?” Hayden asked, cooing as she knelt before Lucas. She reached out to touch him, but he moved out of her way, moving to stand behind Liam. Her hand dropped, and Liam could tell her smile had become forced. “I’m your mother, Lucas.”

“I don’t have a mother” Lucas said, rather diplomatically. “Never have.”

“Of course, you did” Hayden said, trying to keep the tension from her voice. “Everyone has a mother.”

“Nu-uh” Lucas said, shaking his head. “Not me, and not Alec. We have daddy and papa, and that’s all.”

Hayden looked up at Liam, glaring at him and then to Theo. “You mean you never told him he had me?”

“Had you?” Theo asked, stepping in for the first time. “You’re the one that got rid of him the moment things got hard. You gave up on him the moment you decided to give him away.”

“You don’t understand” Hayden said, standing, eyes flashing yellow. Liam’s and Theo’s flashed red and yellow in reply. “We could barely feed ourselves, let alone him. We couldn’t keep him. He was just a burden on us.”

Theo reacted faster than Liam did, grabbing Hayden by the throat with a clawed hand and throwing her away from the four of them, fangs bared as he growled at her. Liam placed a gentle hand on his arm, calming the chimera down, before he stepped forward, kneeling down to where Hayden was sprawled on the ground. His eyes burned with the fury of an Alpha as he spoke.

“Theo, go inside and take the kids with you. If she’s still here in ten minutes, call the cops” he gritted out, fangs bared in a scowl. He waited until the door had closed behind them before he spoke again “Why are you here, Hayden? What do you want with Lucas?”

“I need money” she whimpered, a hand clutching her throat. “I figured if I had custody of Lucas, you’d have to pay me child support.”

“Of course, its for the money” Liam growled out, standing. “You lost your right to custody when he was three. We filed for full custody with the court, and you never responded to your court summons. We were given full custody of Lucas because you could never be bothered coming in.” He stood, looking down at her, eyes still burning. With all the authority of an alpha, he spoke once again. “You are to leave this place, Hayden. I do not want to see you any where near Lucas or my family ever again. If you harass us in the future, let it be known that I will not hesitate to get the law involved. I will call the cops, and I will get a restraining order.” He leaned in close, his voice going quiet, so that he knew Hayden would have to strain to hear him. “And if you ever try to take Lucas away from us, like you just did today, know that I will not hesitate to let Theo loose on you. Do you understand?”

Hayden nodded, eyes pooled with tears as she stood.

“Good” Liam growled out. “Now go.”

Hayden, without hesitation, backed away, before finally turning her back on the alpha, running down the drive and down the street. He heard a car engine start up, and then… nothing.

He stayed out there for a few more minutes, calming himself down, before he stepped inside. He leaned against the door, sliding down the wood and sitting with his back against the door. The sound of timid footsteps reached his ears, and he looked up, forcing a smile onto his face as he saw Lucas, the shark plushie pressed tight to his chest.

“Dad… did you ever think I was a burden?” he asked quietly, slowly stepping closer. Liam held an arm out to him, and he rushed forward, pressing his face to Liam’s chest.

“No, I never thought of you as a burden Lucas” Liam said, smiling, as he leaned his head back against the door. “As much as it was a surprise to know you existed, I never thought of you as a burden. If anything, you being around helped make me a better person.”

Lucas chuckled softly, pulling back and wiping away a stray tear.

“Don’t lie. You’d be even better with out me” he mumbled, lower lip trembling.

“Hey, hey, hey. Lucas, look at me” Liam said, gripping his shoulders tight. He waited patiently while Lucas wiped away more tears before he looked Liam in the eye. “You can hear my heartbeat, right?” Lucas scrunched up his nose in concentration, but nodded. “You are one of the best things to happen to me, and I am a much better person because of you.”

Lucas’s frown slowly bloomed into a bright, broad smile, before he wrapped his arms around Liam’s neck, burying his face into Liam’s shoulder.

“Thanks dad” Lucas whispered quietly a few moments later.

Liam smiled broadly, knowing that he really was responsible when he made Lucas feel better.


End file.
